PHOENIX – The Padres were happy to see a freakish talent such as Barry Bonds leave the National League West last fall.

Unfortunately for them, the rival Arizona Diamondbacks employ a transcendent pitcher who is improving in the prime of his career.

Brandon Webb now has a deft change-up to go with his illustrious sinkerball, and the deceptive slow balls helped him deal the Padres a 4-1 defeat, which wrapped up first-place Arizona's three-game sweep of last-place San Diego last night.

"The first time I faced him, he'd throw sinker, sinker, sinker," said Padres cleanup man Adrian Gonzalez. "He's throwing his change-up more now than he did. I don't recall him throwing it much before. It's a pitch you've got to worry about it."

A pitcher who knows something about change-ups, Trevor Hoffman watched intently as Webb threw pitches that strongly resembled his sinkerball, only to arrive 8-11 mph slower.

"He throws it with the same arm speed," Hoffman said. "You literally had to look at the TV to see what the pitch was by looking at the speed. He's created a disparity in velocity with his change-up."

Webb, 29, set a personal mark by notching his 19th win. He lowered his ERA to 2.74.

Webb "might be on the way to the Cy Young" for the second time in three years, said Padres manager Bud Black.

The Padres, trailing 1-0 in the fourth, created a good chance to gash Webb: Brian Giles hit a leadoff single and Gonzalez drew a walk.

But Webb (19-4) struck out Kevin Kouzamanoff and Chase Headley, then retired Nick Hundley on a groundout.

An inning later, Padres starting pitcher Chad Reineke (1-1) gave up a two-run double to Conor Jackson with two outs. Reineke said he went to the same pitch – an inside fastball – that twice had retired Jackson and the right-hander anticipated this one.

Reineke, making his second major league start, worked six innings.

"I felt pretty good out there," he said. "I made a few pitches. I still need to throw more strikes."

Among Reineke's vivid memories will be Webb's diving sinkerball. Reineke was unable to bunt the pitch, resulting in a strikeout after No. 8 hitter Luis Rodriguez singled to open the fifth.

Like Bonds, who made San Francisco's bayside ballpark appear small, Webb is flourishing in a difficult arena where even All-Stars often struggle.

Webb throws a lively sinkerball for strikes even in arid Arizona, where Cy Young Award-winning sinkerballers such as Jake Peavy and Greg Maddux have compiled a career ERA near 6.00. To that end, it helps Webb that he is familiar with Arizona, said Padres catcher Josh Bard.

Said Black of Webb's sinker: "It's not unlike Maddux, I'm sure, in his prime."

Hoffman described Webb's sinker as "like a left-handed, 88-miles-per-hour curveball."